The Fifth Marauder and the Order
by Raven-Evelyn
Summary: The last thing Sylena Lupin expected to see when she returned home after being away for a year was her old friend Sirius Black sitting in her living room talking to her brother. Turns out he was innocent and what's more his younger brother Regulus a Death Eater who apparently died trying to escape them is alive and they brought the news that Voldemort is back.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The third task of the Triwizard Tournament was over and while the three schools started to mourn Cedric Diggory, there was an interesting gathering in the hospital wing. Mrs. Weasley, her oldest son Bill, her youngest son Ron, and Hermione Granger were gathered around a bed where Harry Potter was sitting. There was a big, black, Grim-like dog standing by the bed almost protectively and a black cat with grey eyes sitting in a chair at Harry's bedside. All of them as well as Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape looked between Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge as the headmaster told Fudge what he needed to do now that Lord Voldemort had returned. Fudge was refusing to believe any of it, thinking that all of it, Harry and Dumbledore were insane.

"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this Cornelius," said Dumbledore, "we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I – I shall act as I see fit."

Fudge bristled as though Dumbledore's simple statement had been a threat. "Now, see here, Dumbledore. I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who would let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me-" The cat snorted at this wondering how the Minister could be so stupid and shortsighted.

"The only one against whom I intend to work," said Dumbledore "is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."

Fudge turned very nervous at this before almost pleading, "He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be…" Snape walked over to him rolling up his left sleeve to show the Minister the Dark Mark. As he explained the Mark the cat shifted his left foreleg as if in remembered pain. Unseen by the others the dog looked at the cat in slight concern. Fudge shook his head in disbelief, stepping back from Snape. "I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you, tomorrow, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry." He dropped a bag of gold on Harry's bedside table and left slamming the door behind him.

"There is work to be done," Dumbledore said looking at the group around Harry's bed. "Molly… am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"

"Of course you can," Mrs. Weasley said pale but resolute. "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."

"Then I need to get a message to Arthur. All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as short sighted as Cornelius." Bill offered to go and when he left Dumbledore had Professor McGonagall to take Hagrid and Madame Maxine to his office. He had Madam Pomfrey go see to a house-elf called Winky and once the sound of her footsteps faded away he spoke again. "And now, it is time for three of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius…Regulus… if you would resume your usual forms." The two of them looked at Dumbledore and then at each other before changing back into human form.

Mrs. Weasley screamed and leapt back while Snape looked at Sirius in fury and horror. "Sirius Black!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked.

"Mum, shut up!" Ron yelled. "It's okay!"

"Him!" Snape snarled, staring at Sirius. "What's he doing here?" Everyone was fixated on the two of them that they hadn't noticed Regulus sitting quietly in his chair.

"He is here at my invitation," Dumbledore explained, "as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your differences and trust each other." Regulus rolled his eyes knowing of the bad blood between the two of them. Dumbledore started to get impatient, "I will settle, in the short term, for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth stand united, there is no hope for any of us."

Regulus watched as his brother and Snape slowly moved towards each other and shook hands. He put his head in his hand muttering, "Idiot," as the two of them let go extremely quickly and seemed to want to wipe their hands off on their robes.

Mrs. Weasley heard him. "Who are you?" she asked not recognizing him.

"Regulus Black. That idiot's younger brother." Regulus replied gesturing to Sirius who looked at him annoyed at being called an idiot.

"That will do to be going on with," Dumbledore told Sirius and Snape. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, Regulus, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus and Sylena Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher – the old crowd. Lie low at the Lupin's for a while, I will contact you there." Regulus who had started a little at Sylena's name nodded and transformed back into a cat. He headed towards the door before being joined by Sirius who had wanted to say good-bye to Harry first. Together they left the hospital wing and headed for Buckbeak.


	2. Chapter 1

Sylena Lupin stepped into her house that she shared with her older brother, Remus. "Remus! I'm home!" she called starting to unfasten her torn and dirty cloak. "Finally," she muttered as she hadn't been home in a year.

She was about to hang her cloak up when she heard a voice that she'd know anywhere but it wasn't Remus. "Hey Sylena."

Sylena spun around, her cloak slipping from her fingers to land in a heap on the floor. Her wand shot into her hand and she pointed it at the figure yelling, "What the bloody hell are you doing here Sirius? After what you did!" Sirius raised his hands to show that he was unarmed, a confused look on his face. The fact that he seemed to not know why Sylena was pointing a wand at him stunned Sylena and she was even more confused when Remus walked up behind Sirius looking irritated.

"Sirius I told you to wait, but no you had to go dashing off." Remus told Sirius who grinned.

"Can you blame me for wanting to see Sylena, one of my best friends, who I haven't seen in thirteen years?"

"Like I said before rash," Regulus muttered from behind Remus but went unheard as at the same time Remus said, "No but if you-" He was interrupted by an owl delivering a letter to Sylena.

"All Department of Law Enforcement workers are to report to the Ministry immediately," the letter said before landing on the floor.

Sylena groaned throwing her arms up in the air, "CAN'T I HAVE FIVE MINUTES OF PEACE AND QUIET! I just got back damn it." She spun around and walked out the door to Disapparate.

"Well her temper certainly hasn't changed," Sirius said smiling slightly. His brow furrowed slightly as a thought came to him. "Hang on. Remus, why did Sylena react as though she still thought I'd betrayed James and Lily?"

Remus sighed, "That's because she still does and I told you not to go out ahead of me."

"You haven't told her?" Regulus asked as Sirius was in shock. "Because I would think she would have believed you from what I remember about her."

"I haven't had a chance. She's been gone for over a year."

"Why?" Sirius asked.

"Some auror mission," Remus shrugged picking Sylena's cloak up from the floor. He frowned at the sate it was in and waved his wand over it cleaning off the worst of the stains and fixing the worst of the tears. He hung it up before continuing, "I couldn't exactly send an owl telling her the truth about you two in case it got intercepted or gave her away."

"Lena's an auror?" Regulus asked surprised. Remus raised an eyebrow at the fact that Regulus had shortened his sister's name without realizing. He and a smirking Sirius exchanged a glance.

"She had just started training when you faked your death," Sirius explained to his brother.

"Well there's no point in standing around in the hall waiting for Sylena to come back," Remus said and the three of them headed back to the living room.

At the Ministry Sylena spotted her friends and co-workers Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks. "Hey, what's going on?"

"No idea," Kingsley answered.

"Scrimgeour said that Fudge wanted to speak to all of us for some reason," Tonks said turning to look at Sylena. "Wow you look terrible. Tough mission?"

Sylena nodded, "I wasn't even home for five minutes when I got the letter saying to come here."

Just then Fudge walked up to the front of the room and announced his voice magnified to fill the room, "It has come to my attention that Albus Dumbledore is trying to destabilize the Ministry by making outlandish claims about You-Know-Who." Sylena, Tonks, and Kingsley shared confused looks as that didn't sound right. "He is spreading lies that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back which is utter nonsense because he has been dead for nearly fourteen years and there is no spell to reawaken the dead. Do not believe anything Dumbledore says and the same goes for Harry Potter who is disturbed, dangerous, and prone to hallucinations. So if any of your loyalties lie more with Dumbledore than the Ministry I'd advise you to clear out your desks now. Good day."

Sylena stared at Fudge's back outraged. "What did he just say about my godson?"

Tonks rolled her eyes, "Just some stuff Skeeter wrote about Harry during the Triwizard Tournament." Sylena turned to stare at her friend openmouthed.

"Right you wouldn't have heard," Kingsley said. "The Triwizard Tournament was held at Hogwarts this past year and Harry ended up as Hogwarts' second champion."

Scrimgeour walked over to them, "Good to have you back Lupin. Take the rest of the day off and I'd like your report first thing tomorrow." Sylena nodded and he walked back to his office.

"Well it looks like I'll be having a talk with my brother about what I missed," Sylena said before thinking, _And I've missed a lot and he'd better have a good explanation for what happened when I got home. _She smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow." She waved and left to Apparate back home.

She walked into the kitchen from the back door. Sylena had just started to pour a glass of water when Remus walked in. "Hey sis, how are you doing?"

"I'm tired, sore, confused as to why Fudge has gone completely balmy talking about how Dumbledore is trying to take over the Ministry by spreading rumors about Voldemort being back, lost about how Harry ended up entered in the Triwizard Tournament which has been discontinued for over a century-"

"Well those two we can answer," Remus interrupted with a slight smile which vanished when Sylena glared at him.

"Then answer this, why is Sirius here?"

"If someone were to come up to you when we were in school and told you that Sirius would betray James and Lily to Voldemort, what would you tell them?"

"I'd tell them to go to St. Mungos and get their head and eyes checked because something must be wrong with them." She sighed and looked down at her glass. "People change though Remus."

"You'll want to keep that in mind." Remus told Sylena before grinning. "Anyways Sirius is actually innocent. I found out the truth about a year ago. You must have had some hope that Sirius was innocent or else you would have brought other aurors back with you." Sylena smiled realizing he had a point. They started to head to the living room when Remus stopped Sylena, "Wait. I don't want you hexing anyone so why don't I hold onto your wand for now."

Sylena looked at him an eyebrow raised. "Anyone?" When her brother didn't answer she sighed and handed him her wand. They walked into the living room and Sylena stopped short when she saw that Sirius wasn't the only one there. Her glass slid from her numb fingers to shatter on the floor. Sylena stared at the man she believed to have died fifteen years ago after joining the Death Eaters and who no matter how much she wanted to hate him for being one of Voldemort's followers she couldn't because when she'd heard about his death she realized that she'd been in love with him for years. "Regulus?" she breathed in shock.


End file.
